What All The Shouting Is About

This is the Article of the Geneva Convention that George W. Bush wants to change so badly that he yelled at others with something less than Presidential behavior during a press conference. I have highlighted the areas that cause the Convention to apply to those persons in United States custody even if their respective countries were not signatories to the treaty.

Article 3 is easy enough for anyone to understand. All you have to do is ask if a particular act were applied to you would it be an outrage on your personal dignity, humiliating or degrading. Would it inflict pain or leave any permanent scar. Could action result in death even by accident.

Colin Powell is right. The world is watching and judging us. Our moral standing within the world community is being destroyed. I suppose this is what comes of electing a man who could laugh while ordering the death of another human being.

For George disobeying the Geneva Conventions is just another reason for a good giggle.

Art. 3. In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.

To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) taking of hostages;

(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment;

(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

(2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for. An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.